My 2001 Pathfinder (R50 ) mild/budget build

[stioc]

Yeah like you said there aren't too many options when it comes to the struts, I was seriously thinking about the OME struts which look to be modified Bilsteins (which I really like) but I couldn't find a single bad review about the KYBs and they were 1/3 the cost of the OMEs so it was an easy decision. KYBs are also an OEM suppliers to Nissan and others from what I've read. Having said that if this wasn't a mild/budget build I would've gone with the OMEs because they probably have longer travel, though longer travel also means more stress on the CVs etc so it's really a slippery slope. I'm definitely looking forward to the new suspension setup and eliminating the dreaded death-wobble from worn out rear control arm bushings.

Tires wise another option is wheel spacers. Fluery (well known member on the Pathfinder forums) is running 1.25" spacers with the stock wheels and 265/75/16 (32"). His truck sees a fair amount of off-roading and he hasn't had any issues with them. Quite honestly I'm a bit on the fence about the 32" tires, to me they look juuust a tad bit poseurish on the Pathys especially with MTs- at least in the pics that I've seen on the web. I'm thinking 31" is probably a good size but I have to see what the fender gap looks like. They just may look like little donuts after the lift. If you have any pics of your truck with the 30" tires I'd love to see them.

I haven't looked at the Duratracs, I'll check them out. Thanks for the ideas and suggestions!

[mortonm]

If you really want the 32 inch size 235 85 is a nice alternative to 265 75. Same height just an inch skinnier. I am running them on my Xterra with zero issues on the highway. BFG AT. Stock size is 265 width btw on the Xterras

However if I was you I would get the 245 75. Its still a nice upgrade and unless you want to do more crawling it will be better for you on and off pavement.

[stioc]

Thanks mortonm. The deed is done, four new Duratracs in 245/75/16 are on their way Now if Rocky Road would just ship my darn OME springs already I could get started on the upgrades!



I was really hoping to get some parts installed this weekend but my efforts were met with defeat; I installed the Rola safari basket but it's 4ft long and just didn't look right to me. So out came the credit card and I ordered the 18" extension for it. I then moved on to the next project and removed one of the rear control arms hoping to use my ball-joint press to R&R the bushings but it didn't fit. So I cut the center sleeve out with a jigsaw hoping to pry the outside sleeve of the bushing but after 40mins of messing around with it I gave up. I cursed Harbor Freight for still not shipping the 12ton A-frame hydraulic press that I ordered almost 4 months ago. At this poing I decided that I would bring all 4 rear control arms and have the bushings pressed in by a shop. I figured it would cost around $80-100. Just to make sure I checked the bushings for size and found out I ordered the wrong bushings (well I got 4 out of 8 right). Well out came the Visa again and back to rockauto.com when I realized for not much more money I can actually order the whole control arm that comes with new bushing. So I ended up ordering 4 new control arms for $200. I removed the rear shocks and called it a day. For now the Pathfinder sits on the lift waiting for parts...

[pathguy]

Wow, giving the credit card a real workout these days! Hopefully the truck will follow.

Sorry, I missed your request for a pic of my truck with the 30's on it when I read your post last time...but it sounds like you didn't need more convincing anyway! I think you've inspired me to start my own mini-build thread soon - not so much that it's an amazing truck, just that it might give some folks some ideas as I've done things a bit differently (in terms of part selection) than everyone else. I wouldn't want to hijack your (so far excellent) build thread either!

Again, keep us posted - looking good.

[stioc]

Wow, giving the credit card a real workout these days! Hopefully the truck will follow.

Sorry, I missed your request for a pic of my truck with the 30's on it when I read your post last time...but it sounds like you didn't need more convincing anyway! I think you've inspired me to start my own mini-build thread soon - not so much that it's an amazing truck, just that it might give some folks some ideas as I've done things a bit differently (in terms of part selection) than everyone else. I wouldn't want to hijack your (so far excellent) build thread either!

Again, keep us posted - looking good.

Do it!! I feel the R50 Pathfinders are an excellent platform for an expedition rig but it remains mostly undiscovered and overlooked.

[stioc]

OK guys, this whole waiting for parts is driving me crazy so tonight after work I decided to tackle a new project The last time we went camping (first time with the Pathfinder) a few weeks ago I faced a difficult challenge...figuring out how to pack all our camping crap in the car! It was also our first time camping with the dog so this was all brand new to us. Here's what I ended up bringing (after removing the 'luxury' items):

1. One large plastic bin with stove, pot, frying pan, table cloth, plates, mugs, utensils, kid's folding chair and a Fiskar camping axe. This went in the back area to the left side (leaving the right side open for the doggy bed and the dog.
2. Three sleeping pads. These sat on top of the plastic bin and cinched down the who thing including the plastic bin so it won't shift...or at least I hoped it won't because of the way the tie-down hooks are configured in the Pathfinder.
3. Two folding chairs wedged horizontallly against the backs of the rear seats and the doggy barrier.
4. A mid-sized cooler, sat in the foot area of the back seat next to my kid's feet along with a 2.5gal water container.
5. 3 sleeping bags and pillows on the rear seat next to my kid's car-seat.
6. Tools and recovery stuff stayed home because I didn't have a way to secure it properly and we weren't going off-roading but that won't be the case most of the time.





This worked but I didn't like it and here's why; in the event of a crash/rollover I want to make sure whatever is in the car stays put. My biggest priority is the safety of my precious cargo in the kid seat- and to a slightly lesser extent us and the dog. We also couldn't bring the dog's crate due to not having room left in the back. But it turned out just fine as the dog slept in the back on his bed next to the big plastic big. There was perfect amount of space for him, almost exactly the size of his crate.

So tonight I built a storage platform. I didn't want it to be too high so as to allow ample headroom for the dog. I also wanted it to be fixed to the floor so it's solid and doesn't move. To bolt it down to the floor I removed the tie-down hooks from the floor and used the existing holes with longer bolts. The whole thing required a single 4x8 sheet of 1/2" plywood I paid $38 for at Home Depot.











I don't claim to be a woodworker I'm just a hack really but it came out Ok. I'm open to making a few minor adjustments and changes to it as needed in the future. Between this and the roof-rack I should have plenty of room to safely store stuff. BTW I see people moving the spare tire up top but I'm perfectly happy with it under the car (plenty of clearance). I'd rather keep heavier items down low and keep the center of gravity lower...especially on a lifted truck.

[Warn Industries]

Cool rig. I always liked the looks of the SE models (I had an SE Limited Sentra back in 1999)—always a bit sportier looking. Looking forward to this build.

- Andy

[AlabamaWill]

This was my R50 and they are great platforms for overland vehicles. Mine was totaled by a drunk driver that ran me off the road, and into a ditch where it rolled, before I could complete the mods I wanted.

[stioc]

Cool rig. I always liked the looks of the SE models (I had an SE Limited Sentra back in 1999)—always a bit sportier looking. Looking forward to this build.

- Andy

Thanks Andy. It's not quite a 'rig' but hoping to build a weekend explorer out of it.

[stioc]

This was my R50 and they are great platforms for overland vehicles. Mine was totaled by a drunk driver that ran me off the road, and into a ditch where it rolled, before I could complete the mods I wanted.

Will, love the first pic! sorry it met its demise so soon What did you end up replacing it with?